In present and future communication devices there are and will be, respectively, multiple radios. In such multi-radio devices, it is necessary to be aware of the internal operation and performance of all of the radios in a device in order to handle interoperability problems that may result from simultaneous operation of the radios. Usually, to avoid problems arising from interference associated with interoperability, the radios are controlled internally in a manner such that they are not operating at the same time. In addition to two-way radios, there also exist receive-only radios, such as, for example, FM broadcast radios. Because received signals in broadcast systems are often continuous, the operation of receivers cannot be controlled without causing disturbances to link quality. If other simultaneously operating radios cause interference to broadcast radios, they can be turned off or the resulting interference can be accepted.
Lightning detectors, operating to detect the electrical discharges associated with the presence of lightning strikes, may operate as continuously receiving radios. Because lightning detectors identify electromagnetic signals caused by natural lightning strokes, and the time of occurrence of the strokes is not known beforehand, it is beneficial from the perspective of detection quality to maximize the detection time. As a result, radios operating within or around the device forming the lightning detector may interfere with the operation of the lightning detector. Specifically, electromagnetic radiation emitted by other radio devices may prove difficult to discern from the electromagnetic signature of a lightning stroke.
Currently, there is no method to inform lightning detectors about the state of other radios in the device, or control other radios based on the information obtained from a lightning detector. Multiradio controllers are usually utilized to control radios based on the quality of service for each radio. However, when attempting to detect lightning, it can prove advantageous for a lightning detector to have awareness of other radios and interference generating components which are currently operating within the device so that the lightning detector can account for self generated interference.
For example, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) transmitters and LED drivers have been found to act as problematic sources of interference when performing lightning detection. As a result, it is difficult for the lightning detection device to identify which part of the received electromagnetic radiation is generated within the device and which part potentially originates from a lightning process exterior to the device. As the dimensions of handheld communication devices become smaller, methods utilizing shielding and filtering to attenuate interfering radiation from internal radios may prove to be insufficient. Additionally, as the transmit power levels of internal radios are relatively high, the level of spurious signals is also high within a short range from the radio independently of the carrier frequency.